Alex Brecher

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! It’s that time again…time for a monthly newsletter. It’s a way we can reach out to you about the happenings on BariatricPal and the world of weight loss surgery. We hope to motivate you by sharing ideas and introducing you to inspirational people. So here’s the run-down of this month’s newsletter! • Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s • Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! • FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment Enjoy the newsletter, and then log in to BariatricPal to spend a little time. You can talk about weight loss surgery and whatever else is on your mind, and see what’s on everyone else’s mind! We want to know how your summer is going. Thanks as always for your support of BariatricPal. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s! Remember putting things off this winter or spring? “I’ll do it in the summer,” when the snow melts or there’s a little more time or the days are longer. Well, have you done what you said you were going to do this summer? If not, you’d better get moving! The days are long and hot now, but summer doesn’t last forever. Don’t let it pass you by! Take the Next Step What is the next step in your weight loss surgery journey? Is it deciding about whether to get WLS? Is it deciding on a surgeon, or figuring out which type of WLS you want, or crunching the numbers to fit it into your budget? Is it getting more protein, finding a WLS buddy, or starting an exercise program? Take that step! Don’t wait until summer is over, because things tend to get busier in the fall. If you can get over your next hurdle now, you will be stronger and in a better position to get healthier. Eat Well and Get Active Okay, that’s not a summer special…but you can eat well and get active summer-style! Why not check out a local farmer’s market and see what’s in season? Keep going back every week for delicious in-season produce with a selection that changes slightly all the time, and challenge yourself to make healthy recipes with it. For bonus weight loss points, walk or bike to the market, or at least walk around it a few times to burn some calories. And how can you use summer to your advantage to get active? Without snow or ice, the streets are yours to pound. You can also hit local pools, and trails, and see if your neighborhood park has a circuit training loop set up – many do! To beat the heat, exercise early in the morning or in the evening, stay in an air-conditioned gym if needed, drink a lot of water, and listen to your body. As summer passes, take a few minutes to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. Staying aware can help you stay focused, and make any necessary adjustments to your goals and plans for reaching them. Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! This month, we are thrilled to feature Elode as our Member in the Spotlight! She is a 5’8” travel nurse who struggled with her weight for years. She had been overweight since the age of 12. Her mother and brother are morbidly obese, and Elode worries about them a lot. She says she wanted to get the surgery to motivate them to follow in her foosteps. Elode decided to get the gastric sleeve after gaining 60 lbs. in a year and hitting a high weight of 267 lbs. She got her surgery done in November of 2014, and has since lost nearly 100 lbs! She is down 97 lbs and is going strong. Her main challenge was and still is eating slowly, but she was expecting this to be a challenge and is working on it. Since getting the gastric sleeve, she feel better and younger. Exercise is easier, and clothes shopping is much better, especially since she is not limited to Plus-sized clothing. She enjoys paying attention to what she puts in her body, and watching the scale go down. As a great moment, she points to a recent 8-mile hike that she and her daughter completed for the first time. Elode uses BariatricPal to receive support, and she enjoys keeping in touch with the people she’s met on the boards. Elode also gives a lot of help to others here at BariatricPal. She loves sharing her experiences with newbies. For those who may be struggling with their weight and weight loss surgery, she says to stick with the basics. “Know that it’s going to be hard at times, but remember why you wanted this in the first place.” She suggests writing a list of reasons why you got your surgery and reading the list when you’re feeling down. Thanks, Elode, for being in our spotlight and also for all you bring to the BariatricPal community. We are all grateful for your contributions and are happy to see your success! Do you want to be in the Member Spotlight? Is there someone you’d like to nominate? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or send Alex Brecher a PM with the subject line “Member Spotlight.” We want to share your story in the newsletter! FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment On July 28, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Reshape Dual Balloon for use as an obesity treatment. The Reshape Dual Balloon is one of a few different intragastric balloons available in other countries, and the first to be approved in the U.S. You can read more about intragastric balloons on BariatricPal! How It Works The dual gastric balloons are placed in your stomach and inflated under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. The balloons help fill up your stomach so you are less hungry and not able to eat as much. The balloon stays in your stomach for up to six months. The intragastric balloon is meant to be used only with proper nutritional support for the entire time you have the balloon. ReShape stresses the need for changing your eating habits and staying informed and engaged. Is It for You? The Reshape Dual Balloon is for patients with BMI of 30 to 40 and a comorbidity. The balloon is a non-surgical option that may be appealing for patients at the lower end of the overweight BMI ranges who do not want an invasive procedure. As with WLS, you need to be willing to change your eating habits with the balloon. You cannot get the instragastric balloon if you already had WLS. Weight Loss and Maintenance The balloon is not for patients who are at the higher ends of the BMI ranges. The balloon is expected to help you lose only about 7 percent of your total body weight. If you weigh, say, 300 lb., a loss of 7 percent of total body weight would be equivalent to an expected loss of 21 lb. Another major potential drawback to the balloon is that you can only use it for a short time. If you do not adapt the new eating changes and form new permanent habits before the balloon is deflated and removed, you will regain the weight back. In one study, patients regained an average of two-thirds of the amount of weight they had lost within six months of getting the balloon out. Don’t forget to check out our article on intragastric balloons for more information on how they work and who should consider them! We hope you enjoyed the newsletter and are ready to keep up with your WLS successes…or get back on track if you’ve been a little slack. Don’t forget to visit BariatricPal if you ever need ideas, support, or inspiration.

Response received from the OAC..... you can register and purchase your tickets on-site, no problem.

I'm going to find out and will let you know as soon as I hear back.

Thanks for posting this info. Just donated to this great cause!!

"Another death following weight loss surgery booked by Florida company" - I-Team now confirms 4 deaths. This is really insane

This week, the FDA announced its approval of the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System (intragastric balloon). The balloon is a non-surgical alternative to weight loss surgery. ReShape says it is for patients BMI 30-40, but some of ReShape’s competitors have used the balloon for patients with BMI as low as 27. The balloon is a temporary device that is in for about 6 months. It helps you feel full so you eat less and lose weight – about 20-40 lbs. while you have the balloon inserted and inflated. Its success depends on you changing your eating habits while you have the balloon and after it is removed. What do you think about the balloon? If you have not gotten WLS yet and you are at the lower end of the BMI range, might you consider it? If you already have WLS and are not a candidate for the balloon, would you have considered it back when you were researching WLS? Do you think it can work long-term, or just while it is in? (You can read more about the balloon here).

If you’re like me, you’re a little streaky. There are times when things are going well, and it’s not that hard to eat right, exercise well, and feel relaxed and confident. Then there are other times when things are a little more challenging. I may eat a little too much, or have a little more trouble getting out the door for a run or I just don’t feel quite as excited about things as I usually am. What do you do when you have those down times? How do you get back in your groove? For some people, the answer seems to involve retreating. I know some introverts who crave peace and quiet, and can get back in their groove when they get a little extra alone time. Other people are more extroverted, and they feed off of others’ energy. Spending time with others helps them get their motivation back. How do you get your motivation back when it flags, or get back in your groove when you’re knocked out?

These are such great tips, and so necessary! It’s really important to be positive, since that’s motivating, and not be negative, since that can be a barrier. I try to think about making good diet and exercise choices in terms of positives. I try to think, “I’m lifting weights because I love way it makes my arms look,” and not, “I’m lifting weights to try to get rid of my flabbiness.” Thanks for telling us why we need to feel good about ourselves, and how we can!

Thanks for the article! These are great tips. It’s always important to remember that the customer is always right, and YOU’RE the customer! You can get what you want/need either by ordering it from the menu, or by asking for it.

Usually it’s Greek yogurt with some fruit, often blueberries if I have them around. Thankfully I don’t seem to be especially sensitive to fruit – it doesn’t make me hungrier or anything. I keep my portions reasonable but don’t measure – I haven’t for years. Luckily the Greek yogurt comes in individually portioned cups so I don’t have to worry about it.

Lorilove, Congratulations on your surgery! I am assuming you are not trying to get back to walking 8 miles/day immediately? It sounds from your original post like you are (or were at the time of the post) currently doing almost no exercise. So if you got back to exercising, it seems like you might start at a smaller amount, like a mile or 30 minutes or something like that. That might be about (say) 200 calories. I think you would be able to make that up by following some of the others’ suggestions: a Protein shake (sugar-free if the sugar bothers your stomach), or some avocado or Peanut Butter. Good luck! It sounds like you’re working things out.

Soapandcandlequeen, Totally get it! It’s the worst to try so hard to order the right thing, and then find out you should have just ordered what you wanted for fewer calories, less fat, and more pleasure! OKCPirate…good for you for eating three and only three bites! Must have made you proud!

The Candidate, Congratulations on your decision and on your surgery! It’s been a long journey for you already, and you have been wonderfully positive about it. Thanks for sharing this stage of your journey with us in such great detail – it can be very helpful and inspirational to pre-op and post-op members alike! I’m glad to hear things are going more smoothly for you. Good luck, and keep us posted!

Thanks for all your replies! Not surprisingly, it looks like we have a few common food themes! Greek yogurt seems to be essential for most of us! And the other proteins: there are the staples like tuna and beef jerky, and cheese. I’m surprised eggs didn’t come up much, although they did a little bit. Those diet foods are right up there for some of you, too – the diet drink mixes, Protein bars and powders, sugar-free syrups, etc. Yep! Once you find something you like, it’s hard to pass them up in the store because you don’t want to risk not being able to find them. Bandista, I am right with you about having certain foods around! You mention Peanut Butter and cottage cheese – both are healthy, but both can lead to trouble. I get it completely! Those fresh fruits and veggies are a must-have for me, too. My problem is buying way too many in the store or market when they’re on sale and beautiful. I’m trying really hard to control myself in the store (there will probably be apples and lettuce available next week, too! LOL) so I don’t have to race to eat them while they’re still good.

VSGAnn2014, Thanks for the great topic! The nutritionist can be such an important player in the WLS journey, but is so often glossed over. It sounds like there has been quite a range of experiences. Some of you seem to love your nutritionists, and others found them less than helpful, and everything in between. It looks like some common problems are the same ones that pop up with other branches of healthcare: not enough time with the professional, the professional not being helpful or knowledgeable, needing to ask the right questions to get the right answers, and lack of communication between the nutritionist and the surgeon. For those of you who have mentioned that your nutritionist did not know specifics, such as the difference between needs of sleeve versus bypass patients, or you feel that it was inappropriate that you received a pamphlet that was dedicated to all three (sleeve, bypass, band) surgery types, can you point out something that was wrong or give an example of something that was appropriate for one but not for another of the surgery types? Overall, it looks like those of you who have been granted more “access” to a nutritionist have gotten better information – less generic, and more appropriate for your own level of background knowledge and your own nutritional needs.

I wouldn't get a Balloon in Mexico if you can't get there in a jiffy. You should use a local doc for this procedure. There are a few awesome Mexican docs that actually proctor and are teaching US surgeons and have been doing balloons for quite a long time.

Special Savings for BariatricPal Community to Attend the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention! “I had bariatric surgery and I knew I had a second chance at life, so I wanted to do everything I could — even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone — to learn enough to be successful.” –Jennifer Coleman, past Convention attendee In just a few weeks, the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) will host the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention in San Antonio, Texas! This educational event takes place August 13-16 at the beautiful San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, located in the heart of San Antonio’s Riverwalk district. For three days, attendees from all across the Nation will come together with the leading experts in fields such as bariatric surgery, nutrition, obesity research and more to learn all the latest strategies for managing your weight and health. Advance registration to attend YWM2015 ends this Friday, July 31, and we strongly encourage you to register NOW with the code “BariatricPal” for a 20 percent discount on your registration! To register now, please CLICK HERE! With more than 45 educational topics on the diverse agenda, the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention offers you the right education for your journey with weight! By attending YWM2015, you can benefit from presentations such as: Understanding the Brain’s Role in Weight and Your Behaviors Overcoming Your Weight-loss Challenges An In-depth Discussion on Post-surgical “Rules” and Recommendations Tackling Post-surgery Weight Regain While registration will be available onsite at the meeting, prices will increase and we cannot guarantee availability for all of the fun special events taking place throughout the weekend! Take advantage of the special savings for the BariatricPal community and register today to join us for YWM2015. CLICK HERE to register now, and be sure to use code “BariatricPal” for the limited-time savings on registration!

I'm watching this topic very closely.....BariatricPal is launching our own Bariatric Store within the next few weeks. We plan on stocking every flavor of Quest protein bars, powders and chips as well as hundreds of other protein, vitamin and Bariatric products.

Not sure about cost but I think they're anywhere from $5,000-$7,500. Don't quote me on the price because I'm not certain. The only issue is long term weight loss viability. Most people take off a very decent amount of excess weight with the Balloons, but we're going to need to see how long they'll be able to keep it off.

I just posted a new Weight Loss Surgery Magazine article about Gastric Balloons.

I just posted this new weight loss surgery magazine article on the new Gastric Balloon: The gastric balloon is a newer approach to weight loss. It is an alternative to Weight Loss Surgery for obese patients whose BMI’s may be too low to qualify them for Weight Loss Surgery. It can also be an option for you if you do not want surgery because of its risks or because you want a completely irreversible treatment. How It Works The gastric balloon is placed in your stomach to partially fill it. This helps make you feel full so you are inclined to eat less and lose weight. The program depends on your readiness to make changes in your eating behaviors, and you are likely to be more successful if your doctor works closely with you during the time you have the balloon inflated to establish healthier nutritional habits. Like weight loss surgery, the gastric balloon is a tool for weight loss that depends on behavior change. Patients are supposed to have nutritional counseling and learn new eating habits during the months they have the balloon in place. Orbera also promotes establishing a sustainable exercise routine, managing your appetite, and learning how to keep yourself motivated. The Procedures for Implanting and Removing the Balloon It usually takes less than 30 minutes to get a gastric balloon implanted. The procedure is endoscopic, not surgical. You receive an anesthetic for your throat, and then swallow a deflated balloon attached to a catheter or small tube. The surgeon places the balloon using endoscopic instruments, such as a probe with a camera, and then inflates the catheter with saline solution or air. You can go home within hours after your balloon is filled. For 1 to 3 days, you follow a liquid or soft foods diet. You may have multiple balloons inserted over the course of your treatment. For example, Obalon’s 12-week program includes up to three balloons, each with a size of 250 cc (about 1 cup), for a possible total of 750 cc. Other company’s balloons may be larger, such as 400 cc. To remove the balloon, the surgeon gives you a sedative. The process takes only a few minutes, and you will be sedated for only about 30 minutes. Differences from Weight Loss Surgery In general, the gastric balloon is an obesity treatment designed for lower-BMI patients than weight loss surgery. In general, you are eligible for the gastric balloon starting at a BMI of 27. In contrast, health insurance plans that include weight loss surgery set eligibility for reimbursement at a BMI of 40, or a BMI of 35 with an obesity-related comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension. A BMI of 27 is not even considered “obese,” but rather categorizes you as “overweight.” Unlike Weight Loss Surgery, the gastric balloon is not intended to be permanent. The Orbera intragastric balloon can be used for up to 6 months, while the ReShape Duo may be used for up to 12 months. Manufacturers of the gastric balloon claim it can help you lose about 10 to 15 kg (20 to 35 lbs), at the rate of about 1 kg (2 lbs) per week. In comparison, Weight Loss Surgery patients may lose about 80 to 100 lbs. (35 to 45 kg) in their first year after surgery, which is also a rate of about 1 kg/week. They have continued effects of the surgery (e.g., restriction from a smaller pouch/sleeve) after that time, since surgery is permanent. Effectiveness and Safety The gastric balloon can help you lose weight at a steady rate for the months or year you have it in place. It can also help encourage you to establish healthy eating patterns. Some research studies have also found reductions in visceral (or abdominal or belly) fat (that’s the unhealthiest kind of body fat). Patients who are most compliant and lose the most weight are also likely to see improvements in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and fatty liver. The gastric balloon has fewer risks than surgery. It can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Nausea and vomiting are among the more common side effects. Pregnant women, individuals with psychological disorders, and individuals who are misusing drugs should not get a gastric balloon. A Few Different Versions Multiple companies make versions of the gastric balloon. For example, Apollo Endosurgery, makers of the lap-band, make the Orbera gastric balloon. Obalon sells its gastric balloon in Europe and Mexico. A smaller medical device manufacturing company, ReShape Medical, makes the Reshape Duo balloon, which was approved by the FDA yesterday!

This is a press release from the FDA: The U.S. food and Drug Administration today approved a new balloon device to treat obesity without the need for invasive surgery. The ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System (ReShape Dual Balloon) is intended to facilitate weight loss in obese adult patients. The device likely works by occupying space in the stomach, which may trigger feelings of fullness, or by other mechanisms that are not yet understood. The ReShape Dual Balloon device is delivered into the stomach via the mouth through a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure. The outpatient procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes while a patient is under mild sedation. Once in place, the balloon device is inflated with a sterile solution, which takes up room in the stomach. The device does not change or alter the stomach’s natural anatomy. Patients are advised to follow a medically supervised diet and exercise plan to augment their weight loss efforts while using the ReShape Dual Balloon and to maintain their weight loss following its removal. It is meant to be temporary and should be removed six months after it is inserted. “For those with obesity, significant weight loss and maintenance of that weight loss often requires a combination of solutions including efforts to improve diet and exercise habits,” said William Maisel, M.D., M.P.H., acting director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “This new balloon device provides doctors and patients with a new non-surgical option that can be quickly implanted, is non-permanent, and can be easily removed.” The ReShape Dual Balloon is indicated for weight reduction in obese adult patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 40 kg/m2. The device is limited to patients with one or more obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. It is intended for patients who have failed previous attempts at weight loss through diet and exercise alone. There are currently two other FDA-approved devices to treat morbid obesity: the LAP-Band and the Maestro Rechargeable System. The ReShape Dual Balloon was studied in a clinical trial with 326 obese participants aged 22 to 60 (with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 to 40 kg/m2) who had at least one obesity-related health condition. In the study, 187 individuals randomly selected to receive the ReShape Dual Balloon lost 14.3 pounds on average (6.8 percent of their total body weight) when the device was removed at six months, while the control group (who underwent an endoscopic procedure but were not given the device) lost an average of 7.2 pounds (3.3 percent of their total body weight). Six months following the device removal, patients treated with the ReShape Dual Balloon device kept off an average of 9.9 pounds of the 14.3 pounds they lost. Potential side effects for the procedure include headache, muscle pain, and nausea from the sedation and procedure; in rare cases, severe allergic reaction, heart attack, esophageal tear, infection, and breathing difficulties can occur. Once the device is placed in the stomach, patients may experience vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, gastric ulcers, and feelings of indigestion. This device should not be used in patients who have had previous gastrointestinal or bariatric surgery or who have been diagnosed with inflammatory intestinal or bowel disease, large hiatal hernia, symptoms of delayed gastric emptying or active H. Pylori infection; those who are pregnant or use aspirin daily should also avoid the device.The ReShape Dual Balloon is manufactured by ReShape Medical Inc., in San Clemente, Calif. The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. ###

The gastric balloon is a newer approach to weight loss. It is an alternative to Weight Loss Surgery for obese patients whose BMI’s may be too low to qualify them for Weight Loss Surgery. It can also be an option for you if you do not want surgery because of its risks or because you want a completely irreversible treatment. How It Works The gastric balloon is placed in your stomach to partially fill it. This helps make you feel full so you are inclined to eat less and lose weight. The program depends on your readiness to make changes in your eating behaviors, and you are likely to be more successful if your doctor works closely with you during the time you have the balloon inflated to establish healthier nutritional habits. Like weight loss surgery, the gastric balloon is a tool for weight loss that depends on behavior change. Patients are supposed to have nutritional counseling and learn new eating habits during the months they have the balloon in place. Orbera also promotes establishing a sustainable exercise routine, managing your appetite, and learning how to keep yourself motivated. The Procedures for Implanting and Removing the Balloon It usually takes less than 30 minutes to get a gastric balloon implanted. The procedure is endoscopic, not surgical. You receive an anesthetic for your throat, and then swallow a deflated balloon attached to a catheter or small tube. The surgeon places the balloon using endoscopic instruments, such as a probe with a camera, and then inflates the catheter with saline solution or air. You can go home within hours after your balloon is filled. For 1 to 3 days, you follow a liquid or soft foods diet. You may have multiple balloons inserted over the course of your treatment. For example, Obalon’s 12-week program includes up to three balloons, each with a size of 250 cc (about 1 cup), for a possible total of 750 cc. Other company’s balloons may be larger, such as 400 cc. To remove the balloon, the surgeon gives you a sedative. The process takes only a few minutes, and you will be sedated for only about 30 minutes. Differences from Weight Loss Surgery In general, the gastric balloon is an obesity treatment designed for lower-BMI patients than weight loss surgery. In general, you are eligible for the gastric balloon starting at a BMI of 27. In contrast, health insurance plans that include weight loss surgery set eligibility for reimbursement at a BMI of 40, or a BMI of 35 with an obesity-related comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension. A BMI of 27 is not even considered “obese,” but rather categorizes you as “overweight.” Unlike Weight Loss Surgery, the gastric balloon is not intended to be permanent. The Orbera and ReShape Duo intragastric balloons can be used for up to 6 months. Manufacturers of the gastric balloon claim it can help you lose about 10 to 15 kg (20 to 35 lbs), at the rate of about 1 kg (2 lbs) per week. In comparison, Weight Loss Surgery patients may lose about 80 to 100 lbs. (35 to 45 kg) in their first year after surgery, which is also a rate of about 1 kg/week. They have continued effects of the surgery (e.g., restriction from a smaller pouch/sleeve) after that time, since surgery is permanent. Effectiveness and Safety The gastric balloon can help you lose weight at a steady rate for the months or year you have it in place. It can also help encourage you to establish healthy eating patterns. Some research studies have also found reductions in visceral (or abdominal or belly) fat (that’s the unhealthiest kind of body fat). Patients who are most compliant and lose the most weight are also likely to see improvements in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and fatty liver. The gastric balloon has fewer risks than surgery. It can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Nausea and vomiting are among the more common side effects. Pregnant women, individuals with psychological disorders, and individuals who are misusing drugs should not get a gastric balloon. A Few Different Versions Multiple companies make versions of the gastric balloon. For example, Apollo Endosurgery, makers of the lap-band, make the Orbera gastric balloon. Obalon sells its gastric balloon in Europe and Mexico. A smaller medical device manufacturing company, ReShape Medical, makes the Reshape Duo balloon, which was approved by the FDA yesterday!

"'My organs were shutting down:' Team 10 investigates agency booking weight loss surgeries in Mexico Agency defends sending patients to Dr. Almanza" 3 Deaths that they know about. There's been an update to this news story. Click here to read.

Hahahahaha! I don't believe there'a time length limit, but I wouldn't make it very very long. People have limited attention spans while using a computer.